In death, local historian teaches us a powerful final lesson

A really striking thing happened at the Wayne County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday.

It was sad, heartwarming and, more importantly, emblematic of something we have to remember as we watch what is transpiring around the country.

Wayne County took a moment to honor a man who dedicated his life to preserving, celebrating and honoring one of the most important parts of who we are as Wayne County citizens — our history.

Those who spoke about Marty Tschetter noted that he did not just do his job for decades as local history librarian at the Wayne County Public Library. He loved his job — and the people whose stories he helped tell and whose heritage he helped preserve.

It did not matter who they were, where they grew up or how much money they had in the bank, Mr. Tschetter’s admirers said.

He was about making sure that their memories and their stories had the facts, little known details and astonishing and inspiring tales that make a community or a family’s history come alive.

Mr. Tschetter was not from Wayne County. He was born in Michigan and lived there until he moved with his parents to Greenville in the 1970s.

But those who came to honor his memory at Tuesday’s meeting said he could not have loved Wayne County more had he been born here.

And he shared that passion and his knowledge with anyone who was interested.

Mr. Tschetter passed away this past week at the age of 51 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

He leaves behind his father and family, his library friends (and they were his family, too) and a host of people whose lives he touched.

You could see on their faces Tuesday just how hard it was to let him go.

That, friends, is a legacy — when people from all walks of life have stories about the difference you have made in their lives.

But there was one comment that was particularly striking — a moment that speaks so much about what we need to remember about who we are as we deal with the unrest, distrust and rancor that seem to be the hallmarks of the post-COVID America.

One of Mr. Tschetter’s colleagues made her way to the microphone to speak after the reading of the proclamation declaring April 20, 2021, “Marty Tschetter Day.”

She was a petite woman, but her statement was so much larger than her diminutive stature.

“He cared about history,” she told the commissioners. “Everyone’s history.”

And there it is. The lesson.

Prior to the comments on Mr. Tschetter’s passing, there were many discussions about good works in this community — Gold Award Girl Scouts, county employees with 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of service, a 911 dispatcher who was on the other end of the phone when a baby came into the world and a man who has started an organization to help those who have made mistakes in their past start over.

These are the signs, the ones we should turn to as we watch what is happening across this country. There are good people and good works everywhere — and some of the most heroic of the unsung heroes in this community are still there, carrying the torch.

But here is why what that wise lady said mattered and why Mr. Tschetter’s life’s story says so much about who we are and what we should be as Americans.

We have listened to so many people tell us why we should be divided and denigrate who we are as a nation, as a people.

They point out our mistakes and say this country and its progress are about failure and unfulfilled promise.

They say our nation’s history should be altered, retaught, reimagined and spoken of with disdain and embarrassment.

And there are some parts of those stories that are hard to look at.

That is what history is about. It is a multi-chapter book or blockbuster movie, with heroes, villains, wrong paths, redemptions, growth and compromise.

No nation’s story is without those ups, downs, great sadness and monumental lessons.

There are celebrations and moments of profound and unimaginable sadness.

But what Mr. Tschetter taught so many to treasure and respected so much himself is that history is just that — a story — OUR story.

All Wayne County residents have impacted that story, from newcomers to families who have been here for generations.

Their touch might have been for a moment, or across decades, but every single one of us is part of that never-ending tale.

We have to make sure that we remember that history — so we can learn from it and see just how far we have come.

Wayne County will never be perfect. We will have challenges, moments to reflect upon and times when it is hard to battle back.

But fight back we will.

We will continue to be there for each other, just as we have been for generations — and across races, socioeconomic status and ethnicity.

And so, too, will this nation.

Many of us will never forget the America of Sept. 12, 2001, when stadiums of people joined together to sing the national anthem, and when we remembered that we were all Americans.

It was not about color or religion. It was about us, Americans.

There are plenty of people who want us to think we can’t ever be there again, that there are too many differences, too much history.

But we are in control of that future. All we have to do is ignore those who seek to divide us, to make us forget our history, our shared milestones.

And to make that happen, all we have to do is to remember that no story is ever really finished, as long as those who take part in it remember where they have been and join forces to write the next chapter.

Mr. Tschetter taught a whole lot of Wayne County people about the importance of where they came from — and why their community is special.

The best way to honor him is to remember that and to continue to write that history, one conversation, one glass of sweet tea and one outstretched hand at a time.

Condolences to all those who will miss Marty Tschetter and much respect to those who will keep him alive by telling his story and sharing his lessons about knowing that a hometown is not necessarily where you were born, but where you put your heart.